Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has established himself as one of the best players in football, and the superstar feels he is getting close to reaching his lofty ceiling.
“I think I’m nearing my prime, the peak of my powers,” Garrett said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. “I think it’s just matching that experience and that wisdom as well as, like, my athletic ability. Both of those being combined, I think that’s really taken my game to another level.”
Through his first eight games this season, Garrett has already racked up 25 tackles, 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles (which leads the NFL) and a fumble recovery. He has logged a sack in all but two games this year, with his season-high coming back in Week 3 when he registered three sacks in a win over the Tennessee Titans.
Garrett also credited new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for “putting us in position to make plays.” He added that he has been able to “wreak havoc” thanks much in part to Schwartz’s smarts to get Garrett into one-on-one matchups.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Texas A&M, was selected by the Browns with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Injuries limited Garrett to just 11 games during his rookie campaign, but he still managed to record 31 tackles and seven sacks. He then broke out the following year, rattling off 44 tackles, 13.5 sacks and three forced fumbles en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Myles Garrett has already made four trips to the Pro Bowl and has earned himself a couple of First-Team All-Pro selections. He has posted 16 sacks in back-to-back seasons and seems to be well on his way to nearing (or surpassing) that total again in 2023.
The Browns are 5-3 and own the league’s best defense. They will take on the Baltimore Ravens in a pivotal NFC North divisional matchup this Sunday. The Ravens currently hold a one-and-a-half game lead over Cleveland for first place in the division.
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